Calla couldn't shake the feeling that everything around her was about to shift in ways she couldn't anticipate. She stood by the window in Zayne's penthouse, the lights of the city glitter beneath her, but the beauty of the view was lost on her. What had he been hiding? Zayne had always seemed in control, his plans meticulously calculated, but now... now she wasn't so sure.
The words lingered in her mind: What was Zayne hiding from her?
The more she learned about his world, the betrayals, the deals, and the power plays, the more she felt like she didn't truly know him. And maybe, she thought with a pang of uncertainty, she didn't know herself in this world either.
Her phone vibrates on the counter, pulling her out of her thoughts. A message flashes on the screen.
Zayne: I need you to trust me. I will explain everything soon.
Calla stares at the message, her fingers trembling slightly as she grips the phone. Trust. That was the crux of it, wasn't it? She wanted to believe in him, to believe that whatever he was hiding was for her protection, for the greater good. But trust was a fragile thing, and lately, it felt like it was being tested at every turn.
She sinks onto the couch, the weight of her doubts pressing down on her. Zayne had left abruptly earlier in the day, something about a situation at the mine, but the tension in his voice told her it wasn't just business as usual. He was keeping something from her, and the longer he did, the wider the chasm between them grew.
Just as she was about to reply to his message, her phone vibrates again, this time, a call. She glances at the screen, expecting Zayne's name to appear, but it didn't. Instead, an unknown number flashes across the screen.
Her heart races, an uneasy feeling settling in her chest. She hesitates for a moment, then answers.
"Hello?" she says, her voice tight with apprehension.
"Calla, it's Mason."
She freezes. Mason? After everything that had happened, she didn't expect to hear from him. Especially not now, when everything felt so precarious.
"Mason," she breathes, trying to keep her voice steady. "What do you want?"
There is a pause on the other end, and when he speaks again, his voice is low, almost conspiratorial. "I didn't want to contact you like this, but you need to know what's happening. You are in danger."
Danger? Calla's grip tightens on the phone. "What are you talking about?"
"I can't explain everything right now, but Zayne's not telling you the whole story," Mason said, his tone urgent. "He is trying to protect you, but it's bigger than you think. There are things in motion that even he can't control."
Calla's mind race. "What are you saying, Mason? What are you not telling me?"
He hesitates again, and she could almost hear him weigh his words. "Meet me. I can't do this over the phone. We need to talk in person."
Calla's heart pounds in her chest. Could she trust him? After everything that had happened, after discovering his connection to Sinclair, she wasn't sure. But if what he was saying was true, if there was more to this than even Zayne knew, then she needed to hear it.
"Where?" she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I will send you the address," Mason says. "But you need to come alone. Don't tell Zayne."
The call ended before she could respond, and Calla was left staring at the phone, her thoughts in a whirlwind. Mason had betrayed Zayne, she knew that. But now he was reaching out to her, warning her of danger she didn't even know existed. And worst of all, he was telling her to hide it from Zayne.
Her phone vibrates again, a message from an unknown number with an address. She glance at the time, late, but not too late to act. She could go and meet him, or she could tell Zayne everything and let him deal with it.
But then, she remembers Zayne's message: Trust me. I will explain everything soon.
Soon was not good enough. Not anymore.
...
Calla drives through the darkened streets, her hands grips the steering wheel tighter than usual. Every instinct told her this was a bad idea, but her curiosity and the need for answers overpowered her hesitation. She parks her car in front of a dimly lit café at the edge of the city, a place that looks abandoned but still somehow in use.
Mason is waiting near the entrance, his posture tense, eyes scanning the area. Calla approaches cautiously, every step heavy with doubt.
"Mason," she greets him, her voice cold. "I am here. Talk."
He glances around, as though expecting someone to appear from the shadows, then turns to her with a grim expression. "You need to know that Zayne's fight with Sinclair goes deeper than just the business. There are ties, connections, between them that run back for years."
Calla's pulse quickens. "What kind of connections?"
Mason exhales slowly, then lowers his voice. "Zayne's father made deals with Sinclair's family decades ago. Dangerous ones. When Zayne started expanding the business, he stepped into the middle of something bigger than he realized. Sinclair's not just trying to win in business, he is trying to reclaim something that was promised to him long ago."
Calla frowns, her mind struggles to piece together what Mason was saying. "Promised? What are you talking about?"
Mason shakes his head. "I can't give you all the details yet. All you need to know is that Zayne's in deeper than he is telling you. And if he keeps pushing, Sinclair won't just ruin him financially, he will ruin him in every way possible."
The weight of Mason's words pressed down on her, and for a moment, she feel as if the ground beneath her was shifting. She had known this world was ruthless, that the stakes were high, but this was something else entirely.
"What do you expect me to do with this information?" Calla demands, her voice shaking with frustration.
"Be careful," Mason says, his tone somber. "Zayne's keeping you in the dark for a reason. He doesn't want you caught in the crossfire, but you're already in it. And if you do not tread carefully, it won't just be Zayne's empire that falls, it wil be you too."
Calla stares at him, her mind reeling. She wanted to scream at him, to accuse him of lying, of manipulating her again. But something in his eyes told her this time, he wasn't playing games.
Her phone vibrates again, and she glances at it to see Zayne's name flash across the screen. She hesitates for a moment, then swipes the call away.
"What happens now?" she asks Mason, her voice sounding above a whisper.
Mason looks at her with something close to pity. "Now, you decide whose side you are really on."
...
Calla drives back in silence, her thoughts swirling with Mason's warnings and Zayne's unread message. She had wanted to believe in Zayne, to trust him with her whole heart. But now, doubt clawed at her, making her question everything.
As she pulls into the driveway of Zayne's penthouse, her heart pounds in her chest. She knew she was walking into something bigger than she had ever imagined, something that could destroy them both.
And as she steps out of the car, she realizes with a sinking feeling that her decision would change everything.